Reflections: Don’t miss the opportunity

This past weekend, I wrapped up my study of the Old Testament book of Jonah with the First5 community. However, “wrapped up” isn’t a great description, because this short book leaves the reader hanging, with a grumpy Jonah sitting where a shade-giving plant used to be and complaining because God allowed a worm to damage the plant, and still mad because God showed mercy to the repentant Ninevites. Jonah 4:10-11 closes the book with God asking, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended more made to grow . . . . Should I not care more about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people . . .?” 

We’re not told what Jonah answered; since most scholars believe Jonah himself wrote the book bearing his name, maybe he was still thinking about it when he wrote his account of his experiences. The events really happened; Jesus spoke of Jonah and his time inside the fish as historical fact. As for the Ninevites, their turnaround seems to have been sincere but short-lived, evidenced by their later conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. 

That hanging uncertainty leaves me wondering if Jonah missed out on a discipleship opportunity. While the Ninevites, including their king, apparently were aware of the true God and took Jonah’s warning seriously, we don’t know how much they learned about following His laws. Over the years, they returned to their previous stance of conquering Israel, leading to the combining of cultures that produced the unpopular Samaritans as the conquerors assimilated into Israel. 

I can’t help but wonder, though, what might have happened if Jonah had laid aside his own opinions about how God chose to do things (yikes!). Not only did the Ninevites heed God’s warning and repent, but earlier in the book we see pagan sailors making sacrifices and vows to the true God after seeing his power on display in the storm. Obviously, Jonah was out of the boat with no opportunity to follow up with the sailors, but I hope God sent someone! Jonah could have followed up with Nineveh, though, perhaps sharing more about God as Creator and His Law while their hearts were ready to hear. 

While pondering Jonah’s decision that we don’t know, I realized I have the opportunity to make a similar decision. What about people whose behavior isn’t biblical, but who reach a crisis point that opens their heart to God? Am I willing to forgive and help them move beyond their past—whether through personal conversation and discipleship, or perhaps through prayer and financial support of ministries and nonprofits that provide that discipleship and practical help? Sometimes things like an unplanned pregnancy, job loss, medical diagnosis, or the death of a loved one create that opening. 

Jesus’ compassion for the Samaritan woman, as He took time and broke cultural norms to talk with her, sets the example and gives us the answer we need, even if Jonah’s behavior does not. When the Holy Spirit leads us to opportunities to encourage and disciple people who are trying to make a turnaround, our obedience might make an eternal difference.